WWE SmackDown: Burning Questions to Address After Sept. 6 Show

The final WWE SmackDown before Backlash left fans wondering about the incompleteness of the pay-per-view's card and who could be on the verge of victory this Sunday.

The race to become SmackDown's inaugural women's champion isn't as open as WWE's announcers would have us believe. Tuesday's SmackDown offered hints as to who might take home the championship belt at Backlash, but doubts still linger about who the front-runner is.

Is a newcomer from NXT such as Carmella going to claim the crown? Or is Becky Lynch due for some gold?

What is WWE's plan for Kane? Will Heath Slater's run continue? And just what will comprise the Backlash lineup? These are among the other big questions SmackDown's go-home show left unanswered.

How Will WWE Fill Out the Backlash Card?

What will the final match list for Backlash look like?

Many expected WWE to add some midcard battles to the PPV on Tuesday's go-home show, but SmackDown instead focused on hyping Backlash's existing bouts.

As of this writing, WWE.com lists just five matches for the PPV, with The Hype Bros and The Usos essentially getting a play-in game for a second shot to make it to the tag team tournament finals. Battleground featured nine matches. Money in the Bank had 11.

How will WWE fill that gap? 

Daily DDT is hopeful that the card will remain as is to allow for more time for each contest:

That might work, but a number of up-and-comers will be left off of the PPV. Apollo Crews, Baron Corbin and Breezango are all absent from the card for now. And strangely enough, so is John Cena.

WWE has slid Cena offscreen after SummerSlam, limiting him to working dark matches after SmackDown goes off the air.

With three hours and a pre-show to fill, some last-minute clashes are on their way. If those don't include Corbin, WWE runs the risk of The Lone Wolf losing the last bit of momentum he still has from winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32.

Who is the Favorite Heading into the Six-Pack Challenge?

Ahead of the Six-Pack Challenge that will crown SmackDown's first women's champion, WWE offered a series of hints about who might end up with that title.

On Tuesday's SmackDown, Lynch received the most mic time in the show's opening segment. She was able to talk about how much winning the championship would mean to her, reflect on her journey and play to the crowd. The rest of the field was mostly limited to a one-liner or two.

Later in the show, Lynch teamed up with Naomi and Nikki Bella to take on Carmella, Natalya and Alexa Bliss in tag team action.

Lynch again garnered much of the spotlight. She took a beating from the heels for the majority of the match.

But it was Carmella who last stood on center stage. She choked out Bella with the Code of Silence to score the victory for her team.

That was a clear statement of how much WWE believes in The Princess of Staten Island. But is it a preview of what's to come on Sunday or a case of misdirection?

Lynch has been the focal point of the division for weeks. WWE has mostly developed Carmella and Bella's feud. That points to one of those three women likely winning at Backlash, with Naomi and Bliss promising to settle for background roles. 

Where is this Kane Story Leading?

For the second week in a row, Kane emerged from the darkness and quickly destroyed an annoying presence. 

On Aug. 30, someone calling themselves "The Milkman" boasted in the ring. Kane, who hadn't appeared on SmackDown in weeks, stomped out and flattened him.

A week later, it was Fandango's turn. The ballroom dancer was searching for a dance partner before Kane interrupted him in violent fashion.

Is this going to be a reoccurring scene? Is Kane's new gimmick the guy who hates silly people?

Kane doesn't need to be built up by way of steamrolling jobbers the way that Braun Strowman and Nia Jax do on Raw. But he doesn't have any direction at this point and hasn't had a sustained feud in a long time. This could be a creative way to keep him relevant without him overshadowing SmackDown's younger stars. 

ECW ran a similar angle with a bruiser named 911 who would march into the ring and just deliver a chokeslam.

That managed to grow into something fans chanted for. It's hard to imagine that repeating in the WWE environment, but it's a good idea to try something different for the veteran.

Will WWE Pull the Trigger with Heath Slater?

Slater is one win away from holding up the new SmackDown Tag Team Championships. That would have been hard to imagine months ago, when he lost more often than the Philadelphia 76ers, and after neither Raw nor SmackDown drafted him in July.

But WWE has since told a story of the lovable loser fighting his way to a roster spot.

Slater and Rhyno defeated The Hype Bros in the semifinals on Tuesday night to move to the tag team tournament's last match. Due to Chad Gable's injury, American Alpha won't be there to face them. The Hype Bros and The Usos will instead square off to decide who tangles with The One Man Rock Band and The Man Beast at Backlash.

Will WWE take that one last step and crown Slater? 

That would make quite the underdog-defies-the-odds story. And Slater and Rhyno have gained a healthy amount of popularity in their short time as a team. 

SB Nation's Cageside Seats wondered aloud if they have bypassed the much-hyped American Alpha on that front: 

They have. And WWE has noticed that. Slater is connecting with fans in a deep way. He's the everyman, the downtrodden, the spandex-wearing symbol of the power of persistence.

In the past, WWE had slotted Slater as the chum fed to the sharks. For one night, it looks as if he will be the predator.